Clippers' Surge Creates Fascinating Ivica Zubac Dilemma Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Los Angeles Clippers may have to make a difficult decision on Ivica Zubac if they keep winning in his absence.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Clippers still have a long way to go to climb back up the Western Conference standings, but after winning three straight games, they are seemingly back on track. Not only did the Clippers beat the Lakers, Rockets, and the Blazers with an average margin of 17 points, but they also did so without their starting center, Ivica Zubac. How much better the offense has looked ever since Zubac sprained his ankle against the Lakers last Saturday has been notable and could force the front office to make tough decisions ahead of the trade deadline.

Without Zubac, the Clippers had two of their best offensive performances of the season, putting up a 149.4 offensive rating against Houston and a 132.6 against Portland. Brook Lopez, starting in place of Zubac, had his best game of the season in Portland, hitting a career-high nine threes and scoring 31 points in 33 minutes. In his first two starts of the season, the Clippers have outscored their opponents by 17 points.

More important than all the threes Lopez hits is the spacing he provides for the Clippers' stars. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden can operate with more space when Lopez stretches the defense out to the perimeter. Leonard and Harden have both averaged over 30 points in Lopez's two starts, going to the free-throw line 42 times between the two of them. This has caused their individual efficiency to skyrocket, which in turn raises the ceiling of the Clippers' offense.

Odds of a Ivica Zubac Trade May Skyrocket if Clippers Keep Winning

This is certainly not to say that the Clippers are better off with Lopez starting over Zubac. While Lopez may have turned a corner after a horrible start to the season, Clippers fans will have to wait and see whether the 37-year-old center can maintain his level of play. At the same time, putting as much shooting as possible around Leonard and Harden is a strategy that not only makes sense on paper, but has worked over the last two games.

Zubac is a very good two-way center who has proven capable of anchoring a solid defense while scoring efficiently on the other end of the floor. But if the Clippers continue to play better in his absence, they could certainly be more open to moving him ahead of the February 5 trade deadline.

The Croatian center will be sidelined for another couple of weeks. Upon his return, Ty Lue will have a fascinating decision to make if the Clippers keep winning. Depending on that decision and how the next few weeks play out, we could see Zubac become expendable. This would certainly be an unexpected development, but Clippers fans can't be surprised with anything regarding this team at this point.